Honours

Honours

The Honours program provides an exciting and challenging opportunity for students who wish to extend the depth and breadth of their undergraduate studies. You will engage in both high-level, sustained research, and in the acquisition of a more wide-ranging knowledge of your chosen discipline.

Honours is a one-year (for full-time students) or two-year (for part-time students) degree program. It is offered in the School of Arts in all discipline areas and can be studied on-campus or by distance (off-campus). The Honours program provides a clear pathway to future postgraduate studies; to progress to further postgraduate study you would normally require a pass of 2nd Class Honours, Division 1 or 1st Class Honours. It is also a qualification held in high regard by employers.

The program involves a combination of a coursework unit (401H), and a dissertation unit (402H). The coursework provides training in advanced research methods and selected focus areas of study (according to each discipline), while the dissertation offers you the opportunity to pursue in-depth research in an approved area.

NB: There may be a mandatory intensive school for off-campus students. Dates of the intensive school will be advised early in the year.

To be eligible for Honours, you should have a strong academic background in the chosen area of study. Full details of eligibility for each program can be found in the information below.

School of Arts Honours Programs - Description

The School of Arts offers Honours programs as set out below:

Honours Course

No. of required credit points/units in discipline in undergraduate course

No. of required credit points/units in discipline at 300-level to be passed at Distinction or higher

78cp (13 trimester-long units) from Bachelor of Media and Communications;or60cp (10 trimester-long units) from another Bachelor's (AQF Level 7) degree; 12cp can be in a related subject, with the approval of Head of School

96cp (16 trimester-long units) from Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Teachingor60cp (10 trimester-long units) from another Bachelor's (AQF Level 7) degree; 12cp can be in a related subject area, with the approval of Head of School

18cp (3 trimester-long units)

Coursework Component

Typically the coursework component, 401H, is comprised of modules. For discipline specific information please click on the relevant link below and refer to the Unit Description.

Dissertation Component

The dissertation, 402H, requires students to work independently on a subject that they take responsibility for; students determine the focus of this project, and are expected to undertake extensive research prior to writing up their findings in accordance with discipline expectations. While the responsibility for choosing your topic and developing your dissertation is yours, there is substantial academic support available to you in preparing your dissertation. As part of the application process, you must write a dissertation proposal, outlining the focus of your dissertation using the School of Arts Initial Dissertation Proposal form. Prior to contacting the Discipline Hons Coordinator with your proposed application and dissertation proposal, you may wish to discuss your proposal with a potential supervisor who is currently working in your chosen study area.

For discipline specific information please click on the relevant link below and refer to the Unit Description

Each discipline will have its own Handbook that sets out the assessment tasks, assessment criteria, and presentation requirements (referencing conventions, presentation of essays) needed for successful completion of the units 401H and 402H.

the role of a supervisor will depend on the topic you are undertaking, but it is essentially to provide constructive criticism and advice about your work;

you will need to negotiate the input your supervisor can provide in facilitating your research;

your supervisor will wish to see that you are effectively managing your time, so that the project can be completed in the designated period;

consequently, your supervisor will wish to see regular drafts of your work, and offer advice, and at least 4 weeks before the dissertation is submitted; andthe supervisor's task does not include correcting your grammar, or proofreading your work.

Relationship between Coursework and Dissertation

As a general principle, there is typically little or no duplication of material between the coursework and dissertation. However, some disciplines may expect and require some degree of duplication, and this will need to be clarified in the early stages of your Honours program, via discussions with your supervisor and discipline coordinator. This should then be stated clearly in the Research and Supervision Plan.

Ethics

Any research conducted at UNE by staff or students must comply with the University's Ethics policies and procedures. You must identify any potential ethics issues with your supervisor (or potential supervisor) as soon as possible. It is especially important that any research activities involving human participants are clarified early so as to allow time for processing of any required forms and approval processes.

Marks and Grade

Your final grade will be calculated on the basis of 50% for 401H and 50% for the dissertation (402H). To gain First Class Honours you will need to do well in all sections of the course. Your final result will be calculated as a percentage and then converted to an Honours Grade in accordance with the UNE system:

Application Information

The School of Arts has only one intake for Honours per year, in Trimester 1, and the approval process can take longer than some students expect, as the application is assessed at a number of levels: discipline, Committee and Head of School.

It is therefore essential to submit the application well in advance of the Trimester 1 commencement date; the School of Arts recommends that applications be submitted no later than the end of November in the year prior to the commencement of your Honours candidature.

Initial Dissertation Proposal

In order to enrol into Honours, an initial research topic must be approved, and provisional arrangements for supervision must be arranged. The Initial Dissertation Proposal should demonstrate your capacity to work at honours level; it should outline a suitable dissertation topic.

If you undertake Honours full-time you will enrol in 401H and 402H concurrently. You will have two trimesters (from the beginning of Trimester 1) in which to complete the requirements for 401H, and 39 weeks (again from the beginning of Trimester 1) in which to complete 402H.

If you undertake Honours part-time you will enrol in 401H in your first year, and 402H in your second year. You will have two trimesters (from the beginning of Trimester 1) in which to complete the requirements for 401H, and 39 weeks (from the beginning of Trimester 1 in the second year) in which to
complete 402H.

Below is a list of documents to help you with your Honours Application.

Should you require additional information prior to applying for Honours, or at any stage in the process, please don't hesitate to contact the relevant Discipline Honours Coordinators, the School Honours Coordinator and/or a member of the administrative support team. See List of Contacts above. We are more than happy to offer support and guidance, and hope that you will enjoy the intellectual challenges provided by the Honours program in your chosen discipline.

The University of New England respects and acknowledges that its people, programs and facilities are built on land, and surrounded by a sense of belonging, both ancient and contemporary, of the world's oldest living culture. In doing so, UNE values and respects Indigenous knowledge systems as a vital part of the knowledge capital of Australia.